Atwood Foundation
/OVERVIEW: Atwood supports nonprofits in and around Anchorage, Alaska, in the fields of the arts, journalism, history, and civic events. It prioritizes youth causes, and unsolicited applications are accepted.
IP TAKE: This foundation has a small staff but possesses significant funds to spend locally each year. Grant seekers should give the executive director a call to discuss the project idea before sending in any paperwork.
PROFILE: The Atwood Foundation is one of the biggest local funders in Alaska. It seeks to benefit “the people of Anchorage, Alaska & vicinity, particularly the young people, through assisting financially in the initiation, completion and maintenance of non-profit organizations of the arts, journalism, history and other civic enterprises.” The Anchorage-based organization was established in 1962 by newspaperman Bob Atwood, whose memoir is available here. Bob’s wife was Evangeline Rasmuson Atwood. Evangeline’s brother, Elmer, became one of the biggest philanthropists in Alaska.
Grantmaking interests include youth, education, and the arts. Atwood also makes grants in the fields of journalism, history, and civic events, as well as post-secondary journalism education at UAA and scholarship programs at APU. Geographically, Atwood is solely concerned with the people of Anchorage and the surrounding areas.
In the past, one grant application deadline has fallen in May for consideration in June. A second annual deadline has traditionally been in August for consideration in September. The board meets quarterly in March, June, September, and December. Nonprofits can email, mail or hand-deliver applications to the foundation. Grant seekers applying for an Atwood grant for the first time should call at least two weeks before the next grant deadline to discuss the idea beforehand.
To be eligible for an Atwood grant, nonprofits must be based in Anchorage and intend to use the grant funds to serve people in the Anchorage area. The grant application, application checklist, and contract and reporting requirements can all be downloaded from the Atwood website.
The foundation has supported the Alaska Dance Theater, the Asian Alaskan Cultural Center, and the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. It has made a significant number of grants to local arts groups lately in dance, theater, music, writing, and arts education. A list of recent grants is here. In the past, total annual grantmaking has been around $1.2 million to $1.3 million.
The foundation staff can be reached at 907-274-4900, and its address is 301 West Northern Lights Boulevard, Suite 440, Anchorage, Alaska 99503. Send emails with general questions to atwoodfoundation@gci.net.
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